Korea Times Digital Content Reporter
Bo-eun leads the digital content team. She has covered foreign affairs, North Korea, tech, economy and gender issues at The Korea Times. She did a short stint at the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong, where she obtained a new perspective on news production and life. Small sources of joy for her are lounging in the sun, having a good latte and swimming.
Fans are gathered at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square to cheer for Korea in its opening group stage match against the Czech Republic at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Friday. Korea won the match 2-1. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
![[PHOTOS] Fans' cheers thunder across Gwanghwamun](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang signs autographs for people welcoming him at the Seoul Gimpo Business Aviation Center in Seoul's Gangseo District following his arrival, Friday. Korea Times photo by Kang Ye-jin
Religious groups, universities and public institutions are offering free or affordable accommodation options for BTS fans who have become targets of price gouging ahead of the supergroup's June concerts in Busan, but supply remains limited, leaving many to stick with their existing plans. Busan is hosting the BTS' June 12 and 13 concerts as part of its "ARIRANG" world tour. As June 13 is also the group's 13th debut anniversary and the first in many years after their historic comeback as a group in March, the event is estimated to draw a substantial number of international and local fans to the city. To cash in on the opportunity, some accommodation businesses have set rates at an average of 7.5 times higher than the usual, according to the Korea Consumer Agency's data based on filed complaints. Some businesses have reportedly canceled existing reservations, citing "overbooking" or "renovations" to open the slots at much high rates. This led President Lee Jae Myung to speak out on the issue, Wednesday. The situation has left many fans to resort to paying exorbitant rates or find options
Two men were stabbed Wednesday at an LG Electronics office in western Seoul, with the suspect currently in custody, authorities said. The suspect stabbed the men — one in his 50s and the other in his 40s — at the company's office in Magok-dong around 11 a.m. The suspect, an employee of a partner firm of LG Electronics, claimed he was harassed by the victims. The victims, who sustained serious injuries in their ribs and arms, were taken to the hospital. Neither was in a life-threatening condition, officials said. The suspect was apprehended around noon near Digital Media City Station. Officials said he called the police to turn himself in while heading to a police station.
Staff members hang wish notes on lanterns at Jogye Temple in central Seoul, Sunday, marking Buddha's Birthday. Yonhap
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves after arriving at the Daegu International Airport for a summit with President Lee Jae Myung, Tuesday. Yonhap
Water shoots from a fountain near Yeouido Park in Seoul, Monday, as daytime temperatures topped out at 29 degrees Celsius. Yonhap
With 200,000 followers on TikTok under the account @dancingbora, Lee Chae-hyun is widely recognized by BTS fans. As a remarkable dancer, ARMYs from around the world seek her classes to learn the moves to the globally famous idol group's songs. Without talent, she would not have made it this far, but there was one other key element. "If it is anything that can promote BTS, I will do it," Lee said without hesitation, when contacted for a visit to her studio for an interview. Her sincerity for the seven-member group is behind the studio’s name Dancing Bora. “Bora” means purple in Korean, a reference to the official color of BTS’ fandom. For Lee, becoming a fan of BTS changed the course of her life. Having majored in musical theater, she performed for a while but found it wasn't right for her and moved on to run a small restaurant with her mom. But then she encountered BTS in 2017. With a passion for dancing, she began uploading her cover dance videos in 2018 to BTS fan communities, back when it was known BTS members kept an eye on these sites. Fans started requesting she teach them,
Cherry blossom trees are in full bloom with N Seoul Tower in the background at Namsan Park in central Seoul, Monday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
As attention focuses on the fate of the two North Korean prisoners of war (POWs) held in Ukraine, questions arise over why there are so few captives from the reclusive state. Pyongyang sent around 11,000 soldiers to fight with Russian forces in the invasion of Ukraine in late 2024. At least 6,000 of them reportedly died not long after they began fighting in Russia's Kursk region in December 2024, as North Korean soldiers were wholly unprepared for Ukrainian drones, according to Ukrainian military and intelligence officials. Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) stated that North Korean troops were stationed in Kursk and continued to launch attacks on the Ukrainian border as of last month. The agency also said the North Korean soldiers are rotated regularly and around 3,000 have returned to North Korea to pass on skills they acquired on the battlefield. Currently, there are only two known North Korean POWs. In January 2025, Ukrainian authorities unveiled a video of the two captives, and South Korean broadcaster MBC's "PD Notebook" was able to interview them for a program that aire